PlatoCare- Is it Affordable?

October 31, 2013

In "The Prince", Machiavelli advises that any innovations on the part of the Prince must be cast in old “modes and orders” so as not to raise the suspicions of the vulgar. In The Republic, Plato is creating a city in "speech" and, unlike Machiavelli, he has no need of deceiving his citizens.

"Platocare" seems to be a transvaluation of values, but PlatoCare reaffirms the ancient authority of medicine, unadulterated by modern innovations. We will appeal to the authority of Plato’s Republic Book 3 as we attempt to determine if the introduction of Platocare would be considered affordable.

“...to require the help of medicine...just because, by indolence and a habit of life” compel doctors to “find more names for diseases..is this, too, not a disgrace?”​”...in former days” doctors “did not practise our present system of medicine, which many be said to educate disease…”

Inactive people force doctors to create new names for their diagnoses. The one specifically stated in the Republic is "flatulence". This unnecessary multiplication of diseases will no longer be a concern under Platocare.

”Herodicus...by...doctoring found out a way of torturing first...himself...and the rest of the world.”“By the invention of lingering death...by the help of science he struggled on to old age.”

“Lingering death” is the result of people receiving continual medical care and this will not be allowed under Platocare. Under our current healthcare system, patients who are "brain dead" or in a coma can be kept "alive" for years by unnatural means through science. Fortunately, Platocare will not allow these treatments to continue. Unfortunately, nursing homes will be closed as their existence is not beneficial to the state.

“Asclepius...knew that in all well-ordered states every individual has an occupation to which he must attend, and has therefore no leisure to spend in continually being ill.”

Under Platocare, people will not be continually in need of doctor’s treatments. Medical schools will exclude any treatments that are not cures. Pharmacological companies will discontinue providing drugs that are not cures. There will be no more research into treatments, as patients will only be cured.

“...he sees no good in a life which is spent in nursing his disease to the neglect of his customary employment...either gets well and lives ...or...dies and has no more trouble.”

Under Platocare, people will not be treated to the exclusion of their employment or career. Plato does not say what cures, if any, will be offered to citizens who are unemployed. We must conclude that Plato's city does not have any "work shy" people.

“...excessive care of the body...is most inimical…”

Minimal care of the body is promoted as good or virtuous by Platocare.

“...Asclepius...did not want to lengthen out good-for-nothing lives, or to have weak fathers begetting weaker sons;-if a man was not able to live in the ordinary way he had no business to cure him; for such a cure would have been of no use either to himself, or to the State.”

Platocare will not prolong “good-for-nothing lives”. We learn that if patients can not "live in the ordinary way", they will not receive cures. We learn that such people are of no benefit to "the State".

“...they would have nothing to do with unhealthy and intemperate subjects, whose lives were of no use either to themselves or others; the art of medicine was not designed for their good…”

Surprisingly, Platocare has no regard for the "unhealthy". By what standards Platocare will determine if patient’s lives have “no use…to themselves or others” is not expressly indicated.

“...those who are diseased in their bodies they will leave to die, and the corrupt and incurable souls they will put an end to themselves.

The main premise of Platocare is that people who lead virtuous lives will have a healthy body. Therefore, doctors will know that healthy bodies will be cured, but citizens who have not lead virtuous lives will have diseased bodies. These non virtuous citizens are no good to either themselves or the state and will be left to die. Under Platocare, the disgraceful epidemic of insulin dependency and kidney dialysis will be discontinued.